Wednesday, December 30, 2015

A makeshift lightbox


Doesn't it look festive for this Christmas time?
I needed to trace the first draft inking of a picture onto a new piece of Bristol so that I could add something, but I don't have a lightbox (they're expensive!) and in this winter, the windows aren't very bright and not for very long--the sun goes down at four. So I made do with this!


Half of a storm window atop a metal breadbox of Christmas lights. It got hot very quickly, so I had to take breaks in my tracing to let it cool down. Needs must!

Sunday, December 27, 2015

Aitkin Age column: Have a non-abstract Christmas

Here is my latest column for the Aitkin Independent Age. The issue came out Dec. 23, so.

In my columns about gay marriage and abortion, I did not mention religion at all, because I was not basing my arguments on religious belief but simply on logic, which, it may surprise some to hear, is not incompatible with religion, though they can be separated.

However, the negative response I received still accused me of wanting to impose a religion-based government on the nation. I’d like to acknowledge the positive responses I received, of which there were far more.

But now, given the privilege of writing the My View right before Christmas, it would be remiss not to mention that I am Christian, a Catholic. My college degree is in theology. So I’m going to talk about Christmas from a Christian perspective, but I hope what I say can be applied to a non-Christian experience of the holiday too.
Read the rest here.

Saturday, December 26, 2015

A Christmas present


As a Christmas present to our uncle and his family, I printed out, watercolored around, and framed this poem.

Chesterton visited the University of Notre Dame in 1930 and witnessed a football game. He wrote this in honor of the occasion.

Merry Christmas!

Saturday, December 12, 2015

Photos from Fall


Fall is certainly over, but it doesn't seem to be properly winter yet. We've only had one significant snowfall, and it's all melted now. Seems more like Texas winter so far.

Anyway, first, some fall birds.



We went out and gathered leaves for garlands.



We dipped them in melted paraffin wax,


Let them dry on on waxed paper,


And stitched them onto upholstery thread.


Isn't that nice!